Chris Stones
About
From the moment I built my first computer aged 12 — a 300MHz Olivetti desktop rocking a 56k modem — I was hooked on technology. I’ve lived through the ISDN era, dual-bonded lines, and Voodoo FX graphics cards, and I’ve built (and broken) more PCs than I care to admit. My sheer curiosity led me to take a Dremel to the chassis of a Western Digital Raptor drive so I could solder LEDs inside and watch the platters spin — I've always relished breaking things apart to better understand them. My Teens were spent glued to Notepad++, Flash MX, Director MX and Dreamweaver. I began my formal studies in 3D Game Design at MANCAT, spending countless hours in Unity, Maya and 3Ds Max experimenting with green screen and motion capture. Over time, I pivoted from digital worlds to real-world impact — applying that same hands-on curiosity to solve complex business and technology problems. Today, I specialise in understanding business processes at their core — mapping how organisations truly operate and identifying where technology can drive measurable improvement. Whether it’s optimising operations, modernising architectures, or designing data-driven systems, I focus on making technology a strategic enabler rather than just an implementation.
Posts
Experience
British United Provident Association Limited
Solution Architect — Care Services
Apr 2024 – Present
- Currently leading on design and build of new Digital Experiences, integrating with eCare platforms to improve engagement and streamline care.
- Delivering system of innovation layer for proactive care capabilities; built to enable re-use of operational data from IoT devices, Care Planning for improved care outcomes.
- Aligned operational data model with NHS Digital Social Care Standards (MODS) to ensure interoperability, compliance, and future-proofing.
Betfred
Solution Architect
Oct 2023 – Mar 2024
- Implemented Amazon Connect for the Customer Support Desk, defining integrations to back‑office gaming CRM.
- Created reference architecture for a Payment Orchestration Platform to replace a legacy payment gateway.
- Built a Memgraph proof‑of‑concept for real‑time fraud detection and AML analytics to enable pre‑payout intervention.
Tunstall Healthcare
Group Solution Architect
Sep 2021 – Sep 2023
- Delivered speech‑to‑text analytics for Alarm Receiving Centres with real‑time ELK dashboards using an AWS/SNOMED CT knowledge graph.
- Defined B2C “Carefree” Group Living strategy using Amazon Smart Properties and wearable integration via TryVitals API.
- Architected a FHIR‑based Care‑as‑a‑Service platform (Medplum SDK, Kafka, Kong, Azure IoT Hub, AWS Connect) for B2B/B2C telehealth.
- Orchestrated partnerships (Twilio/Connect US); led business case, RFP, SOW, and workstream governance.
- Initiated PoC enabling subscription pricing for B2C telecare.
- Built a PoC social‑network with AWS Neptune to drive loneliness service, mapping virtual and physical customer interactions.
Tunstall Healthcare
Group Domain Architect
Aug 2020 – Sep 2021
- Redesigned distributed IoT social alarm architecture (Contact Centre, WFM, Rules Engine, Device Management, Telemetry, state machines).
- Generated multi-million new revenue opportunity via IEEE 802.3 Single Pair Ethernet proposition enabling TCP/IP over legacy cabling.
- Drove horizon scanning and PoCs to seed new propositions; aligned innovation pipeline to growth and transformation goals.
Tunstall Healthcare
Innovation & Development Test Manager
Apr 2019 – Aug 2020
- Defined QA strategy reducing cycles from 12 months to 3 months; standardised processes and automation in Azure DevOps.
- Mentored QA team to ISTQB certification; introduced defect and release management processes.
- Validated DTMF & SIP protocol transmission across WANs to BSI standards.
Aptean
QA Manager — Multi‑Channel Retail Systems
Jan 2017 – Apr 2019
- Built a greenfield QA function and gained buy‑in from the Technical Director.
- Delivered a £20m omni‑channel rollout: OMS, POS, Worldpay Gateway, WMS, mobile apps, and e‑commerce.
Fujitsu
Senior Test Analyst — Oracle EBS (WMS)
Aug 2016 – Jan 2017
- Migrated 30 on‑prem automation machines to VMs for 24/7 testing and introduced automated BI/MI reporting.
- Cut manual test effort by 40%
Fujitsu
Test Analyst — Oracle EBS (HRIS & Financials)
Sep 2014 – Aug 2016
- Delivered test analysis and automation for HRIS and Financials workstreams within Oracle EBS.
Rochdale Borough Council
Business Solutions Analyst
Jan 2009 – Sep 2014
- Implemented Social Care Asset Strategy for lifting devices including asset, contract, finance, and call‑centre processes.
- Saved ~£500k annually via asset lifecycle management and planned preventative maintenance scheduling.
- Expanded BI/MI reporting to reduce risk and ensure compliance with legal and government policy.
Education
Northeastern University
MSc Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
2022 – Paused
- Modules include Programming for Data Science (Python), Social Network Analysis & Graph Theory, and Advanced Statistical Methods.
- Focus on applying data-driven analytics, machine learning, and graph theory to business and healthcare domains.
The University of Huddersfield
BA (Hons) Computing in Business
2011 – 2014
- Explored computer science, analytics, and business strategy with modules in Systems Thinking, Database Design, and E-Commerce.
- Developed skills in project management, data analysis, and web-based business applications.
Manchester Arts and Technology College (MANCAT)
Diploma in 3D Games Design
2009 – 2011
- Focused on 3D modelling, game engine development, and interactive design using Unity.
- Worked extensively with green screen environments and motion capture technology.
- Developed a strong foundation in visual storytelling and creative problem-solving before transitioning to business technology.